Asphalt-block cooler.



G. E. WHITNEY.

ASPHALT BLOCK COOLER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 5, 1909 Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SEEETSSHBET 1.

||41|||||||||||||l|| llLh [Ill 0 G. E. WHITNEY.

ASPHALT BLOCK COOLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1909.

E whl iney G. E. WHITNEY.

ASPHALT BLOGK COOLER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1909.

Patented July 23, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. 1559. E

M'Zncsses 'Jnvenior Qearfge 1? 50121251169,

yMrM nnrrnn srAr'gs FATENT 'fonnion.

GEORGE E. WHITNEY, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL PAVEMENT COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

ASPHALT-BLOCK COOLER.

Specification of tietters latent.

Application filed November 5, 1909. Serial No. 526,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. WHITNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of VVest'chester, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Asphalt-Block Coolers,of which the following description, in connect-ion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invent-ion relates to asphalt block coolers.

In order that the principle of the inven:

tion may be readily understood, I havedisclosed a selected embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a plan View of that end of an asphalt block cooler embodying my invention that receives the heated blocks from the press; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 1,;and-

illustrating also a portion of the press; Fig. 3 is a plan View of a part of the intermediate portion of the asphalt block cooler;,Fig. 4 is. a vertical sectional view of that portion of the cooler shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan View of the discharge end of the cooler; Fig. 6 is a view mainly in side'elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5;- and Fig.

-by the cooler is indicated at l in Figfi 2, it being of any approved type.

In practice, blocks are discharged from the press in a highly heated condition, the temperature thereof approximating 300 F.- :In order to prevent deformation of the blocks it is important that they be effectively cooled immediately upon their discharge from the press and that they be not handled prior to the cooling thereof. Any handling to which the blocks may be subjected prior totheir shape ind condition.

coolin increases theihtendencyto lose their It hasheretofore been the common prac-' I tice to cool or rather, to attempt the cooling of blocksdischarged from an asphaltress by conveying them through a cooling liquid contained within a trou h and flowing in ing means, the blocks being received in the 'cooling trough at the cooling liquid inlet end thereof in a highly heated condition, and being at once acted upon by the coldest the cooling liquid into the trough,'through at or adjacent the bottom thereof, and preferably at a series of longitudinally sepaed-by contact with the blocks, rises to the surface, I remove the surface film or layer of the now heated liquid and discharge the same from' the trough, preferably laterally the invention along the entire longitudinal blocks are subjected throughout their travel v in the trough to the action of a cooling liqdischargd, the temperature of the liquid is not unduly raised at any point by contact with the heated blocks. The result'is that the blocks are eflectively cooled when they reach their point of discharge from the trol the entrance of the cooling liquid into so that if I find at any oint along the of the cooling liquid is sufiiciently low to cool the blocks, I may reduce or cut off the which the blocks are conveyed, preferably.

rated points, and as the cooling liquid, heatthe trough at each of the admission points,

length of the trough the surface temperature Patented July 23, 1912. v I

the direction'of travel 0 the block convey-' .portion of the liquid. This has resulted in 7 In accordance with the preferred embodimen-t of my present-invention, I introduce thereof,-an d in the present embodiment of 'extent of the trough. "In this manner, the,

fluid of minimum temperature, and as the heated portion of the liquid is constantlytrough. Preferably Iprovide means to conadmission of the liquid at or adjacent this point and introduce it only at suchother points as may be indicated as necessary by the more highly heated condition of the surface liquid. I

The trough or receptacle wherein the blocks are received to be cooled may be of any suitable dimensions, construction and material. Herein I have represented the same as metallic and as composed of any suitable number of sections 2 suitably se-' cured together as through the medium of angle irons 3, a part only of the said sections being herein indicated. The trough'or receptacle is represented as supported upon a series of uprights or chairs 4, each of which, as most clearly shown in Fig. 7 has an upper, substantially rectangular head 5 provided with a seat 6 for the cooling trough and a supporting post or pillar 7 provided, if desired, with a base 8.

While any suitable means may be employed toconvey the blocks 9 through the trough or receptacle, preferably I provide an endless belt 10, the blocks being preferably delivered from the press as directly as possible upon the belt and conveyed thereby through the trough. In order to prevent the accumulation of block crumbs in the trough and to provide a simple and cheap but effective construction, the upper run only of the conveying belt 10 is received within the trough or receptable. Preferably both the block receiving and block discharging ends of the belt extend longitudinally beyond the trough. As represented most clearly in Fig. 1, the block receiving end of the belt 10 is mounted upon a guiding drum, head pulley or other support 11 mounted in hearings in suitable brackets 12 exteriorly of the trough, and the block discharging end of the belt is mounted, as shown in Fig. 6, upon a driving drum or head pulley 13, also supported exteriorly of the trough in a manner to be hereinafter more particularly described. Intermediate the supporting drums 11 and 13, the upper run of the-belt is'supported within the trough at suitable intervals upon rolls 14,-

which as shown most clearly in Fig. 7 are loosely mounted upon roll shafts l5 journaled at 16 in the side wallsof the trough. The lower run of the belt is supported by rolls 17, which, as shown most clearly in Fig; 7, are also loosely mounted upon roll shafts 18 journaled in the vertical sides 5 of the chairs 4. Y .7

While the blocks may be discharged directly from the trough into cars ,or the like or be distributed from the trough about the yard, I have herein represented inFigs. 3

to 6 inclusive, a support for the discharge.

end of the belt and the head pulley 13, and

, herein. consisting of a framing made up of suitable uprights 19, cross and longitudinal pieces 20, braces 21 and top channel irons 22 viously referred to, and rolls 14 and 17, similar it may be to those jo-urnaled within the trough and the chairs respectively. Certain of these rolls are represented at 14 in Fig. 4' as enlarged in diameter and flanged at their ends, in order suitably to guide and support the belt 10. I

l/Vhile any suitable means may be employed to drive the belt, I have represented power as applied to the drum 13, and to this end have journaled in suit-able hangers 23 shown in Figs. 1 and 7 as extending laterally from a side wall of the trough 2, the shaft 24:, having mounted thereon a pulley 25, to which power is applied from any suitable source. The shaft 24 is herein represented as extending the entire length of the trough 2, and as having fast thereon at the discharge end of the trough a sprocket pinion 26 connected by a suitable sprocket chain, not shown, with a sprocket wheel 27 fast upon a shaft 28 extending longitudinally of and suitably journaled in the end supportor framing and provided at its forward end with a sprocket wheel, not shown, and 0011- nected by a suitable sprocket chain with a sprocket Wheel 29 fast upon a countershaft 30 having thereon a worm 31 meshing with a worm wheel 32 fast upon the shaft 33 car. rying the drum or head pulley 13. By the described gearing or by any other suitable driving means, the belt 10 may be driven at any suitable speed.

I have obtained good. results by driving the belt 10 at a speed somewhat greater than that at which the blocks are discharged from the press 1 by the ejecting head, so that as the blocks are received from the platform of the press upon the belt 10, as shown belt is supported and returned below the i trough 2. When, therefore, the block cooler remains idle for any substantial length of time, as for example over Sundays or holidays, that portion of side of the trough becomes very dry and therefore elongated to suchan extent as to prevent the belt being driven when power is thereafter applied in the usual manner. I have previously endeavored to -meet this the beltlwhieh is out- I contingency by providing means to ad-- just the bearings of the'shaft whereon thedrum or head pulley 13 is mounted, but

owing to the great length and weight of the belt necessarily employed, and the lossof time incident to a manual adjustment of the mounted upon the end support or framing 20 and having at one end a preferably flanged roll 36 contacting with the under face of the lower run of the belt as shown, the opposite end of the lever 35 being counterweighted as by means 'of an adjustable weight 37 In this manner, the slack of the belt is taken up as it occurs, thus avoiding the loss of time necessitated in taking up the slack manually in the manner heretofore attempted by me, and-also permitting the self adjustment of the lever 35, and roll 36 when the entire belt becomes again wetted, and therefore contracts in length, as is inevitably the case when the operation of the parts is resumed. If desired, I may also provide a guide roll 38 mounted co-axially with the pivotal point of the lever 35. v

As previously stated, the blocks are discharged from the press onto the belt 10 at a high temperature which may approximate 300 F. It is important not only that the blocks be subjected as soon as they are re'-.

ceived in the trough to the action of a cooling liquid, which is at a sufficiently low temperature at the point where the blocksare received in the trough, but that throughout the greater and preferably the entire extent of their travel through the trough,'the

blocks be constantly, subjected to the actionof a liquid kept at all times at a. sufliciently low temperature to act upon the blocks and -most effectually to cool the same. By the present invention, I accomplish this result by introducing the cooling liquid into the trough at a plurality of points distributed longitudinally along the same and preferably at or near the bottom of the .trough and at-the same time I constantly withdraw the water as heated by the blocks, thus permitting fresh incoming water to take its place. As the water or other cooling liquid heated imparting its cooling action thereto, rises to "the'surface, if introduced in the manner disclosed in the present embodiment of the inby contact with the blocks and after} vention, I constantly remove ittherefrom in preferably a thin film, layer, or sheet, and this I most effectively accomplish in this em bodiment of the invention by providing a dam along one lateral wall of the trough and preferably extending the entire length thereof.

In Fig. 3, I have represented. a plpe '39 1 communicating with any suitable source of water or other cooling liquid supply, this pipe being supported by suitable brackets adjacent and extending longitudinally. of one lateral wall of the trough. At'suitable points-along the trough the pipe 39 is'pro vided with suitable branch pipes 40 shown most clearly in Fig. 7, and each having a valve 41 by which water may be admitted through each of the said branch pipes or cut off from any one of them, The pipe 39 is represented as extending the entire length of the trough and at one end of the trough, as,

for example, in this embodiment of the invention, at the discharge end'thereof, is of maximum diameter, as represented at 41. Certain succeeding lengths of the pipe are made of successively reduced diameters, 0

owing to the constant discharge of a portion of the body of water into the trough by the various branch pipes 40 distributed along the length thereof.

It will be apparent that if at any point along the length ofthe trough I find the surface water. sufiiciently cool to 'act eflioiently upon the blocks, I may out down or cutoff the incoming water supply at the branch pipe or pipes 40 nearest thereto, 1 0

thus preventing waste of water and making certain that. only heated water is discharged. If at any point Ifi'nd the surface water is becoming unduly heated I'open or further open the valve or valves 41-nearest this point to admit an additional supply of cold water at" this point. The branch pipes 40 preferably discharge the water into the trough 2 closely adjacent the bottom thereof and beneath the upper run of the belt 10. 1 0 In Fig. -7, I have represented the lateral wall a3 of the trough, being the wall opp o site that through which t-hecooling liquid is entered, as lower than the opposite wall 454 and as provided 'exteriorly and along preferably the entire length thereof with angle irons 45, upon which is suitably 'su'p- 'porte a joint plate 46. Qonn ected to the angl irons 45 in; the mannershown are other angle irons 47,. to which are secured by bolts 48 a dam 49 preferably ranging, the

entire length of the trough, and a gutter 50,

preferably inclined from end to-end or to its oint of ultimate discharge. The-gutter 50 1s here shown as extending the entire length of the trough 2 and as having a sufficient drop to carry off" the Water discharged over the dam 49.

Preferably the upper edge of the dam 49 should be at such a level as topermit only a thin or surface film of water to be discharged thereover into the gutter 50, and. preferably the heated water should be discharged over this dam at all points along the length of thesame. As the trough may be of very considerable length, frequently ranging over 100 feet, it is a matter of considerable difficulty so to position the upper edge of the dam 49 that at all points the water may continuously discharge thereover, and in a preferably thin film or sheet. I may accomplish the desired result by rendering the dam 49 vertically adjustable in any suitable manner as by attaching it to the angle irons 47 with capacity for such adjustment. Preferably, however, I form the dam 4-9 of wood, and if in testing the same I find that the water is not discharged t-hereover at all points, I plane off the upper edge at those points where the water is not discharged. In this manner, I readily and at slight-expense provide a lateral discharge extending the entire length of"the trough.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the heated blocks are received directly from the press by the belt 10 and are thereby conveyed without manual manipulation through the trough. During their travel therethrough they are constantly subjected to the action of a sufficiently cool liquid, a fresh supply of cold water or other suitable liquid being introduced at a number of points along the length of the trough, thus preventing the water from becoming overheated at any point. The cold water rises from the bottom of the trough into contact with the blocks supported upon the belt 10, and as the heat of the blocks is given up to the water, the now heated water rises to the surface and is discharged in a film or thin sheet in be started up without loss of time and With out the readjustment heretofore rendered necessary when the entire belt has become wetted after'a period, of idleness.

Having thus described one type or embodiment of my invention, I desire it to be .I

understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descrlptive sense and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invent-ion being set forth in the following claims.

Claims. I v I I. An asphalt block cooler comprising in combination an elongated trough or receptacle having one lateral edge lower than the other to constitute a lateral discharge, a side gutter-into which said trough discharges, means to admit a cooling liquid at the bottom of the trough at a plurality of points spacedlongitudinal'ly along the same, and means to traverse blocks through said trough longitudinally thereof.

2. An asphalt block cooler comprising in combination an elongated trough or receptacle for the reception of the blocks to be cooled, and having one lateral edge lower than the other for the side discharge of the surface liquid and a strip secured along said lower edge and presenting a level upper edge for the discharge of the surface liquid thereover along its entire length and means to admit cooling liquid to said trough.

3. An asphalt block cooler comprising in combination an elongated trough or receptacle having one laterale dge lower than the other to constitute a lateral discharge, and a side gutter into whichsaid trough discharges, the bottom of said gutter being inclined toward the outlet and means to admit cooling liquid to said trough.

4. An asphalt block cooler comprising in combination an elongated trough, a block conveying belt having one run thereof only contained in said trough, near its bottom; cooling fluid admission means effective near the bottom of said trough'and liquid discharge means effective at the top of thecontained liquid, whereby said belt is situated as closely as is practicable to the bottom of said trough where the most recently admitted and hence coolest liquid is situated;

5. An asphalt block cooler eomprisingin combination an elongated trough or receptacle, means to traverse blocks therethrough longitudinally thereof, pipes to admit cooling liquid to the bottom of the trough at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally along the same, a separate valve for eachof said pipes, and a discharge dam arranged along one side of the trough, whereby the heated surface liquid may be discharged by separating it from the body of the liquid.

6. An asphalt block cooler comprisingln combination an elongated trough-or receptacle having one lateral edge lower than the other to constitute a lateral discharge, means to admit a cooling liquid adjacent the bottacle having a plurality of cooling liquid admission openings spaced longitudinally of the trough, and a single liquid supply pipe arranged in substantial parallelism with In testimony whereof, I have signed my said trough and communicating by branch name to this specification, in the presence of pipes with each of said admission openings, two subscribing Witnesses.

said pipe being of maximum diameter at the GEORGE E. WHITNEY. first admission opening and successively re- Witnesses: I duced adjacent each subsequent admission WALLACE N. DEUTLE,

opening. MIOHAEL OBRIEN. 

